Jesús R. Capó leads Home Furnishings Association in 2019

Jesús R. Capó, chief information officer for El Dorado Furniture in Miami, Fla., has been named president of the Home Furnishings Association for 2019.

The HFA
is an association of more than 1,400 home furnishings retailers representing
approximately 7,000 storefronts in the United States and Canada. It is based in
Roseville, Calif., with offices in High Point, N.C., and Dallas, Texas.

In
addition to Capó, 2019 officers are President-elect David Gunn of Knight
Furniture in Sherman, Texas; Vice President David Beckmann of Emerald Home
Furnishings in Tacoma, Wash.; Secretary-Treasurer Tom Olinde of Olinde’s
Furniture in Baton Rouge, La.; and Executive Board Chairman Jim Fee of Stoney
Creek Furniture in Stoney Creek, Ont., Canada. The chief executive officer of
the HFA is Sharron Bradley.

“We are
thrilled to have Jesús R. Capó lead the HFA in the year ahead, following the
very successful term of our 2018 president, Jim Fee,” Bradley said. “Jesus is a
dynamic leader in our industry, and his company has been a truly innovative
force in furniture retailing for decades. In fact, we are proud to feature
Jesus and El Dorado Furniture in the current issue of our magazine,
RetailerNOW.”

El
Dorado Furniture was founded in 1967 by Manuel Capó, who had fled Cuba a year
earlier in a boat called El Dorado. He and his two oldest sons, Luis and
Carlos, landed in Mexico and made their way overland to the United States, settling
in Miami. Manuel’s wife, Aida, and three youngest sons, Julio, Pedro and Jesús,
soon joined him in Florida. A sixth son, Roberto, was born in the United
States.

The
business grew over the years, with additional stores opening throughout South
Florida. Today, El Dorado is a Top 50 furniture retailer. Although Manuel died
in 2009, his six sons continue his legacy as members of the company’s board of
directors and active managers. El Dorado and the Capó family have been honored
by many community and business organizations, including the Greater Miami
Chamber of Commerce, and support charitable organizations throughout South
Florida.

Capó is
optimistic about opportunities for furniture retailers in an ever-shifting
economic environment.

“Without
a doubt, the retail landscape will have its challenges in 2019,” he said. “With
the uncertainty surrounding tariffs, the affordable housing shortage, the
decrease in the available workforce population, and the perception that all
retail is moving online, it all seems daunting.

“On the
other hand, the general economy is going gangbusters (no matter what the
markets are doing), disposable income is at its highest, with consumer debt is
at its lowest in many years. Consumers are generally purchasing higher-quality
goods and are willing to pay for them. The opportunities for brick-and-mortar
stores are better now than they were in recent years. It’s no longer online
versus brick-and-mortar, but more like ‘Back to the Future’ with retail.

“It
seems Millennials and Gen Z actually enjoy shopping at brick-and-mortar stores,
as long as we connect with our customers on an emotional level and give them an
experience that they want to participate in, again and again.”

The HFA
can help its members understand and overcome the challenges they face, Capó
said.

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“Now
more than ever before, our members need a strong partner to help navigate the
changing currents of retail.

“I’m
eager and excited to help lead the association during the New Year,” Capó
added. “Selling furniture continues to present its own unique challenges, but
I’m convinced the HFA can help all retailers, whether they are Top 100
companies or mom-and-pop stores on Main Street.”